Friday, August 16, 2013

This week I kept track of the things I do (almost) daily to stretch my budget.

Mornings:
- Summer months: The curtains are left drawn on east side of the house until the sun passes over the top of the house but opened during the winter months to draw in more heat from the sun.
- I save 'first time used' tea bags and put them in a small container in the fridge. Some mornings I use 3 'previously used teabags' to make one cup of tea for hubby.
- Egg shells or melon rinds are put in compost container on kitchen counter.
- Seran wrap or baggies used to cover fruit are washed, dried and reused.
- Laundry is washed with homemade laundry detergent.
- Vinegar is put in a 'Downy ball' to soften clothes.
- Homemade stain remover is applied to clothes.
- Cold water is used for nearly all loads of wash on a light cycle (unless very dirty).
- Grey water is used from washing machine and ran to flowers on the side of the house.
- Laundry is hung on clothes line instead of using a dryer.
- Toilet and bathroom sink are sprayed with a mixture of 1/2 vinegar & 1/2 water mixture.
- I use toilet paper to wipe down sink and toilet when cleaning instead of paper towels.
- Lights kept off in house during the day.
- Dishes washed by hand in sink with 2 dishpans (1 for washing and 1 for rinsing).
- I let water pour into a bucket while waiting for it to turn hot and then put the bucket on the back step. I throw it on the flowers (along with the dish water) after I finish the dishes.

Fishin' with the grands!

Lunch:
- Vegetable peelings from salad fixings are put in small compost container on counter.
- Same routine for washing morning dishes.
- Laundry taken down from clothes line and folded to avoid ironing.
- Soda cans are saved to recycle.
- Old soft clothing and old towels are used for rags to dust.
- Vacuum cleaner canister's contents is dumped on compost pile.
- Newspaper saved for composting and plastic cover is used as a cover for seedlings to make
mini-greenhouse.
- Fans used in each room to avoid using window air conditioner until it's over 90 degrees outside.
- Phone calls made on Magic Jack.

My granddaughter learning how to do needlepoint.

Evenings:
- Garbage is dumped and grocery store bag is used to line the can.
- Compost container in kitchen is taken to larger tote at the back of the garden.
- Recipes are double and tripled so I only use the stove a few times a week.
- Large toaster oven used for baking to keep the house cool.
- Timer is used when watering the lawn so that I don't forget and let the water keep running. :-)
- Same routine as morning for washing dishes.
- Night lights turned on to avoid using overhead lights in bedrooms and bathroom.
- Lawn mowing night: clippings & leaves thrown into compost.
- Car washing night: 2 small buckets of water used only.
- Shower water is turned off while soaping.
- Shampoo is allowed to set on head until end of shower. This allows only one application of shampooing.

My backyard vegetable garden full blown!

Wealth gained hastily will dwindle,

but whoever gathers

little by little

will increase it. Proverbs 13:11ESV

Okay friends! How did your week go? Please forgive me for not getting back to you last week. It's been busy, busy here as I try to keep up with the veggies. But, I do learn so much from you and I'm thankful!

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